Fluid-pressure motor for fire-box doors.



A. (1. E'LVIN. FLUID PRESSURE MOTOR FOE FIRE BOX DOORS.

Patnted June 18, 1912.

2 SHBETSSHEET 1.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28, 1909.

Lwwgwk A. G. ELVIN.

FLUID PRESSURE MOTOR FOR FIRE BOX DOORS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28, 19094 LO3Q234 Patented June 18,1912

2 SHEETS- SHEET 2.

FIGZ. FIGS.

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. WITN ESSES ALBERT G. ELVIN, OF EAST ORANGE, ERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

FLUID-PRE S S URE MOTOR FOR FIRE-BOX DOORS.

Patented June 18, 1912.

Qriginal application filed February 5, 1907, Serial No. 355,877. Dividedand this application filed September i 2 8, 1909. Serial No. 519,998.

To all ma a maylcomelm,

Be it known that I,YALBEariG. formerly of Franklin, 111 the county ofVe;

nango and State of Pennsylvania, but now of East Orange in the county ofEssex and State of New .lerse'y, have invented acertain new andusefulImprovement in Fluid- Pressure Motors for Fire-Box Doors, of whichimprovementthe following is a specification.

' My invention relates to fluid pressure'actuated appliances for openingand closing the doors of fireboxes or furnaces, and is more particularlydesigned-. ;fo1" '11se incon nection with the locomotive firebox doormechanism set forth in .an application for Letters Patent filed by meFebruary. 5, 1907 tion, of ready applicability under limita-v tions ofspace, and free from liability to derangement in operation. f V

The improvement claimed is hereinafter 3 fully set forth. s E

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a front view, partly inelevation and partly in section, of a firebox door appliance,illustrating an application of my in- 5 vention; Fig. 2, a verticalsection, on'an enlarged scale, through the lower portion of the cylinderand its lower head,-showing the operating valve as unseated for thesupply of fluid to the piston; Fig. 3, a similar view, 0 showing theoperating valve as seated for the exhaust of fluid from the piston; Fig.4, a horizontal section through the cylinder and piston; and, Fig. 5, avertical section through the lower portion of the cylinder 5 andv itslower head, taken at rightv angles to Figs. 2 and 3.

My invention is herein exemplified as in connection with the fire doorappliance of my application Ser. No. 355,877 aforesaid,

the same (which is not claimed herein) comprehending two door sections,9, 9

which are fitted to slide toward and from opening in a fire boxor'furnace to which the door frame is connected. The door sections aremoved from and toward each other, to open and'close, respectively, thefiri 1g opening, by means of levers, 12, 12, pivoted by,

plnsor bolts, 13, to one side .of the door frame, and carrying arms 14,14, in which are formed curved slots, 15, engaging pins, 16, 16,'formedor fixed centrally on the door sections, 9 and; 9?, respectively.Segment gears, 17 17., are formed on the levers,

12, 12*, on thesides of their pivots farther from the armsgfl, 14:, andan operatinghandle, 18,, 1s'=forme'd on the outer end of one of thearms, as the upper arm, M, by

the movement of which handle, through the pins, 16, 16*, and the meshingof the teeth of the segmentgears, 17, 17, the door sections may bemanually simultaneously moved away from -,or toward each other, asdesired. T; f

In the practice of my invention, as applied in connection 'with the doormoving mechanism abovedescribed, a fluid pressure operating cylinder,25, is bolted to the side of the door frame, 3, which adjoins thesegment gears, 17,17, of the door section levers, and is closed at itsupper and lower engagement of: the curved slots, 15, with the ends byheads, 26, "27. The cylinder, 25,.

is cut away on its, side next :the segment gears, so as to allow them toproject into it, and 1s fitted with apiston, 28, provided with suitable.packing rings, '29, near its lower end-."; '-;A? 'longitudinal recessis; formed in the piston 28, abov'eglts packingrings, and-is providedwith a rack or'plurality of teeth,

30, engagingthe teeth of the segment gear,

17", oftheclovietifdoor section." Upward movement is imparted to thepiston by fluid pressure, which preferably compressed air, admittedto-its lower end through a supply pipe, 31,, and it is moved downwardlyby 'a spring, 32,.abutting on itsupper end and on the upper head, 26, ofthe cylinder. It 'will be seen that the upward and downward movement ofthe piston, will, respectively, through the segment gears and theirconnections, move the door sections apart or bring them together, as thecase may be.

The supply and exhaust of-motive fluid to and from the piston areeffected by an op crating valve, 33, which is of the lift or puppettype, and is fitted to move horizontally in a chamber, 34, in the lowercyljecting arm,"38, whichbears agai'nstjo'n'e arm of a doublearm'edlever, 39, journaled on a pin, 40,- fix'ed in the doorv frame below thelower. doopsection, and the opposite arm of said lever f'is connected tothe inner arm of a double armed treadle lever, 41,1011?" naled on thelower portion of the door frame. The outer arm of the treadle lever isbent downwardly to a level slightly above th at of the deck or firingfloor of the boiler and carries. a treadle, 42. By downwar pressure ofhisfoot upon the treadle, 42, the

firemanfcan, through the lever system above" .described, {unseat theoperating valve, and,

upon the release of such pressure, the valve will bev r eseated by thepressure from the supply pip'e'fa'cting upon it in its chamber, 34 IAcentral supply passage, 43, is formed in tl1e.-,valve'stem, 35, saidpassage communi-- catin by radial ports, 44, with the valve 35 chamber,34, when the operating ;'-valve is- ,unseated,'- and extending to radialports, 45, leading into an annular peripheral groove or channel, 46,in-the valve stem. As a me ch'anical equivalent" for v the centralpassage,

' 40 43, and radial ports, 44, a peripheral-groove may be formed on thevalve stem, in the plane of the ports, 44, and a lateral groove beformed-on saidstem connecting said peripheral groove with the groove orchannel, 46, similarly to thecentral passage, 43,

which is shown. In all positions of the operating valve and stem, thechannel, 46, registers with a main supply and exhaust @port, 47, leadingthrough the lower head, 27 into the cylinder, 25, and, when the opcrating valve is seated, it also registers with a final exhaust port,48, in the head, leading to theatmosphere. A preliminary exhaustpassage, 49, is formed in the wall of the cylinder, said passage openingthereinto by a port, 50, located slightly below the level of the bottomof the piston, 28, Wheniat the upper extremity of its traverse, and thelower end of the preliminary exhaust pas- 50 sage opens into thecylindrical bore in which the valve stem, 35, works, at such-a point inthe length thereof as to register with the channel, 46, of said stem,and, through said channel. with the final exhaust port, 48,

when the operating valve is seated. The

" haust port, 48. The operating fluid is therearea for traverse of fluidthrough lthe port, "47 is made less than thatthrough the preliminaryexhaust passage, and is varied, as desired, by a regulating valve,'5l,formed on the'endof anadjusting screw, 52, engaging a thread in thelower head, by the; movementof which screw, thevalve, 51, may be causedto close the port, 47 either entirely or to any desired de ree. 7

In the operation 0 J the motor, the fireman 7 5 places his foot on thetreadle, 42, and: there by depressesthe outer endof the lever,f41,which, v through the lever,"39, and rock shaft, 37, and its arms,transmits the applied pressure to thestem, 35,1'ofthe oper- 30 atingvalve, 33, and unseats said valve. Op-

erating fluid is thereby admitted .to the cyl- ,inder, 25, belowitspiston, 28, through the,

ports, 44, passage, 43, ports, 45, peripheral channel, 46, and port, 47,the pressure of, the fluid raising the piston to the limitgof its upwardtraverse, in which, through; the gearing and door levers, it moves the"door sections away from one another the limit of their traverse, andfully opens or uncovers the firing opening. Said opening remainsuncovered only so long as the pressure of the firemans foot, ismaintained on the treadle, and, upon the release of; this pressure, theoperating valve. is imi'n'e'diately 5 seated by the pressure initschamber, 34. The, upper'end port, 50, of the preliminary exhaustpassage, 49, has previouslybeen uncovered by the piston passing" aboveit, and the lower'end of said passage has, by the seating of theoperating valve, been brought into communication with the channel, 46,

*and final exhaust port, 48. The port 47 is also open to the channel,46, and final exfore exhausted from the cylinder, and the piston ,isforced down by the spring, 32, bringing the door sect-ions to theirnormal closed position in its downward movement. The preliminary exhaustbeing open before thep-isto-n commences its downward stroke, the largerportionof the operating fiuid below the piston will be immediatelyreleased, thereby allowing the door sections to be quickly started intheir-closing movement, and as the port, 50, .is closed bythe piston inpassing it, the.remainder of the downward stroke ofthe piston and theresultant movement of the door sections will be made more slowly, owingto the comparatively re 1 stricted discharge opening through the port,

47, as regulated by the valve, 51. The piston-will be thus, in asubstantial degree,

cushioned, sothatf while the..door sections start to close quickly, theywill come together easily and without shock. l

The construction of the appliance is such as to involve comparativelyfewworking parts, and these are of such character that they can besubstantially madeand are pro- 130 tected from liability to breakage andfrom and flue repairs, has been universally recognized in railroadservice. I

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The combination of a fluid pressure cylinder having a lateral openingand a closing head provided with supply, exhaust, and auxiliary exhaustports, a piston working in said cylinder and having a rack on its sideadjacent to said opening in position to engage a gear extendingthereinto, an operatin vpiston valve in the closing head of the cy indercontrolling the supply, exhaust, and auxiliary exhaust 'of fluid to andfrom said cylinder, and a spring bearing on said piston and acting toeffect its traverse in a direction opposite to that effected by theaction of fluid pressure.

2. The combination of a fluid pressure .cylinder having a lateralopening and a closing head provided with a direct supply and exhaustport, a piston working in said cylinder and having a rack on its sideadjacent to said'opening in position to engage a gear extendingthereinto, an operating pis ,ton valve in the closing head which, whenunseated, admits fluid pressure to the cylinder, and, when seated,exhausts fluid pressure therefrom, and which is continuously subject tofluid supply pressure, a lever for unseating the operating valve, and. aspring bearing on the piston and acting to eflect its traverse infadirection opposite to that effected by the action of fluid pressure.

3. The combination of a fluid pressure cylinder having a lateral openingand a closing head provided with a direct supply,

- and exhaust port, a piston working in said cylinder and having a rackon its side adjacent to said opening in position to engage a gearextending thereinto, an operating piston valve in said closing headwhich, when unseated, admits fluid pressure to the cylin- --der, and,when seated, exhausts pressure therefrom, and which is continuouslysubjectto fluidsupply-pressure, a lever system, one member of whichcontacts with the operating valve, means, for unseatingthe operatingvalve through the lever system, and a spring bearing on the piston andacting, when the operatlng valve is seated, toefiect the traverse of thepiston in a direction op posite to that eflected by the action of fluidpressure. 1

l. The combination of a fluid pressure cylinder having a lateral openingand a closing head, a piston working in said cylinder operating valve.

the operating valve to admit fluid pressure to the cylinder andpermitting it to be re seated by fluid pressure to exhaust fluidpressure from the cylinder. 5. The combination of a fluid pressurecylinder having a lateral opening and a closing h'ead provided with adirect supply andexhaust port, a pistonworking in said cylinder andhaving a rack on its side adjacent 'to said opening in position toengage agear extending thereinto, an automatically seating operatingpiston valve in said closing head and controlling the supply and exhaustof fluid to and from the piston through the supply and exhaust port, anadjustable valve in said head and port and interposed between the pistonand valve, and means for unseating said operating valve.

6 The combinatic nrof a fluid pressure cylinder, a piston Workingtherein, a head closing one end of the cylinder, and provided with anoperating-valve chamber and a cylindrical bore for an operating valvestem, a fluid-supplypipe leading into the valve chamber, a main supplyand exhaust port leading from the cylindrical bore into the end of thecylinder,- a preliminary exhaust portleading from said bore into thecylinder .in a plane adjacent to the limit of outward traverse of thepiston, a final exhaustport leading from said bore to the atmosphere, anoperating valve adapted to seat in the valve chamber at the inner endthe closing head, an

of" said bore, a stem' fixed to said valve and fitting inand passingthrough said bore, and having a peripheralgroove or channel adapted toregister with the ports aforesaid, av longitudinal passage in said stemhaving radial ports at its ends leading to the pe-- ri-pbery of the stemadjacent to the valve and to the peripheral groove or channel respectively, and means for unseating the 7.'The combination of a fluidpressure cylinder, a piston working therein, a head closing one end ofsaid cylinder and .provided with an operating valve chamber, acylindrical bore leading therefrom to the opposite side of the head, andan operating valve seat at the inner end of said bore, a main supply andexhaust port and a preliminary exhaust port, each" leading from saidbore into the cylinder, a final exhaust v i 75 supply pressure, andmeansrfor unseating" port leading from said bore to the atmosphei'e, anoperating valve adapted to close upon the valve seat, a stem fitting inand passing through said bore and having a peripheral groove or channel,a passage leading-through said stem and havlng radial orts at its endsleading to said groove or channel and to the erlphery of the stem,respectively, and a uid supply pipe leading into the operating valvechamber. 7

8. .The combination of a fluid pressure cylinder, a piston Workingtherein,a head closing one end of said cylinder and pro vided with anoperating valve chamber, a

cylindrical bore leadin therefrom to the op osite side of the hea and anoperating va ve seat at the inner end of said bore, a

main supply andexhaust port'and a pre lilninary exhaust port,' eachleading iiOm said bore into the cylinder, a final exhaust portleadingfrom said bore to the atmos-l phere, a puppet valvein said valyechamber having a cylindrical stem in which are formed radial portsadjacent to the valve,

a peripheral groove or channel between said ports and the opposite vendof the valvestem, and a longitudinal passage connecting said radialchannel, an means for operating .the puppet valve to connect the radialports with orts and peripheral groove-or

